The Sale: Fred Perry Madness!

Well, well, well. If this isn't perfect timing, I don't know what is. We recently got our "we love our work" allowances at the office today and some minutes after, I get an e-mail saying that my favorite brand is on sale. Chance, coincidence, or destiny? I say all of the above, sir. Doesn't matter though if you've been recently blessed like me or not, with a lot of goods discounted up to 30% off, there's no reason to not go to Greenbelt 5 or Megamall immediately after reading this. C'mon now, do you really want to battle the mall-wide sale crowd at Megamall on Saturday? Get off your ass and go, today!

Some sweet wallets and that awesome pin set which I've been eyeing for a bit

Beautiful summer sneakers all on sale!

That red number is quite the looker. If only I didn't have a similar pair already!

An assortment of classic bags to choose from

All photos from the Laurel Shop in Greenbelt 5

The Item: New TravelTeq "Trash" Bags

You've already seen how infinitely awesome TravelTeq's Trash Laptop Bags are. And yet, for some ungodly reason, its makers found some more things to upgrade in what I already regard to be the most glorious laptop bags I've ever seen in my life. Longer handles for the ladies? Check with the Trash Cougars! Shoulder strap for those tiresome arms? Done with the Trash Messengers! A bigger bag for those 17-inch Macs? Well, wham, bam, thank you, ma'am! Throw in a new "invisible" pocket at the back and a charger pocket for the 17-incher bag and what you have are simply the best bags, bettered. Get them here if you can, you moneyed bastard, you!

The Trash Messenger bags in artful action

The Trash Messengers up close with the well-placed shoulder strap

Photo courtesy of TravelTeq

The Art: Forgot Something, Darna?

Is that Anne Curtis I see? Oh sorry, it's just a painting of Darna from Manila FAME, forgetting something somewhat, scratch that, very important. Oh well, when you're a premiere superhero I guess you don't have time for things like that, you know, things like decency. You are saving people, after all. So god bless you, Filipino Wonder Woman. Keep on saving every Juan in your neighborhood and just let it all hang out from here on end.

Proof that you always, always, need nipple tape

The Art: Dekahon Carton Furniture

Chalk it up as one of the greatest ideas I've seen in a bit. Cardboard boxes molded into practical furniture? Well, color me delighted; but this new discovery of ours from yesterday's venture to Manila FAME is quite the minimalist's dream. Made of thick cardboard panels put together by easy-lock plastic bolts, these pieces of furniture make quite the eco-statement. Desks, drawers, coffee tables, chairs, shelves, even a bed - yes, all cardboard and as my girlfriend and I have agreed, beautiful pieces which will adorn our home whenever that fateful time comes.

This charming desk would be a wonderful addition to my room

Kiddies and grown-ups alike would love these little chairs

There's the bed in the foreground. The base is made of durable cardboard!

Style I Love: Style + Comfort Above All

Our company went on an awesome culture + food trip to Bale Dutung, Pampanga last week and we were told to wear comfortable clothes due to the walking and warm, nay, hot weather. Not to be told twice because of my hyperactive glands, I sported some baggy chinos which I've not worn for a bit and folded them up to at keep them up to date. Needless to say, before I went out the house, I was quite surprised at how much I loved this supposed look for comfort.

Ever since I discovered skinny jeans in '06, I've always sworn by slim-fit pants. But after seeing myself back in baggies, methinks I'm finding merit in bringing them back in my wardrobe rotation. Well, for one, in this heat, I want all the breathing room I can get. Skinny jeans and other slim numbers can't afford me that luxury. Many times this summer, I found myself so irritated by how hot my jeans would get (no, not in that way) that I can't wait to get home to get them off. With these baggy babies, that ain't gon be a problem at all. Comfort and style? With baggy pants, I say you get the best of both worlds.

Straw Trilby (SM Department Store), Collared Shirt (Fred Perry)
Baggy Chinos (Banana Republic), Chuck Taylors (Converse)

The Item: Joey Samson x Human T-Shirts

Oops, I did it again. I found myself drawn to the Human store in search of new Joey Samson designed goods and before I knew it, I was at the counter with these two shirts in my hand. It all happened so fast. Oh well, bought once and called it one of my best purchases of 2009, why not do it again right? What I loved about these shirts in particular was that they were basics made interesting. One had a large gingham-ish print on it while the other was sprinkled with fleur-de-lis details which can't help but catch the eye. Oh Mr. Samson, I don't know if I should ask you to stop or keep them coming. My buying your affordable shirts is becoming quite the uncontrollable habit.

I have gingham in my button-downs already, but now I have it in a basic T!

A simple white shirt made not-so-simple with tons of fleur-de-lis

The Art: Usher's OMG

Loved 8701, absolutely adored Confessions, but I must say, none of Usher's work outside "Love in This Club" made me crazy after his two all-hit albums. Here I Stand was okay, but I'm really excited about the man's Raymond vs. Raymond album, which I regard to be his true comeback LP. If his current hit "OMG" is any indication, the Usher I've grown to love is back in a big way, baby. The song's catchy beat is subtly club-banger worthy and the addition of Will.I.Am provides a sound that just cliques with Usher's trademark smoothness. All I can say is keep at it, Mr. Raymond! Time to reclaim that R&B crown you so rightfully deserve!

The Guide: Cutting Your Pants Short

To be perfectly honest, I've never done a do-it-yourself clothing project in my whole life. Izzy of The Dandy Project is quite the master at this, in my opinion, but I've not done any altering myself because of my twitchy hands and my suspect craftsmanship. That is, until I read about GQ's suggestion to make my own shorts from old pants which aren't getting much love anymore. Sounds simple enough, I think. Just cut right? Yeah, but easy there, young fella.

I say if you're going to do something, you better do it right. So before you go snip-snip crazy, listen to these simple tips first so that your pants can look like pristine new shorts. First off, choose the right base pair. When choosing old pants to butcher, go for those old trousers you're not wearing anymore, preferably the ones of khaki or cotton make. Sorry, cargo pants don't count here and though denim shorts can look good on some, skip it. For best results, just go for plain regular chinos you have stashed deep in your closet.

Once you've chosen the lucky pair, wear it and mark the spot where you want to cut with a pencil or a marker. Remember, you can always lessen the length if it's too long, but you can never bring back what you've already lost, so take it easy with the short-shorts there, sir. Make sure to mark both sides at exactly the same point so they'll be at the same level once your done.

Now, for the cutting. If ever you have an extra body around, it'd be smart to enlist his or her help to hold the pants steady as you cut them. Needless to say, it's time to put your little sister's scissors away here. You need big boy snippers so go for shears instead. You can get them at any hardware store, just ask. When you have the right equipment, cut away ever so slowly. Be sure to follow the line you've set and if you're not satisfied with the length, keep on cutting until it suits your taste.

To finish, apply Sew No More (a fabric adhesive for altering) to the inside part of the edges you cut. Fold the edge you cut inwards and make a small cuff on the inside of your shorts. Essentially, you need to do this to avoid fraying of the cut material. If you want, you can sew that baby up as well. But being that a huge percentage of us can't, let's leave it at that.

So there, finally, a D.I.Y. project that all of us fellas can do without being too intimidated. No better time than now to learn this too, if you ask me. With the summer temperature continuously going up, I'd wear shorts every chance I get. Added bonus to feeling cooler would actually be the pride that I actually semi-made the sweet pair I was sporting. Now woudln't that give you a warm feeling inside?

The Art: Spose's I'm Awesome

My not-so-guilty pleasure for the past few weeks has been a song by a self-deprecating white rapper from Wells, Maine. Yes, I know. Of all places, Wells, Maine. No matter, though, this rapper called Spose has amused me quite a bit with his witty lyrics and a simple beat that reminds me of Eminem when he was still the shiz. You may say lowbrow, trailer park trash, and stupid, but eff you, mothereffer, I'm awesome!

The Happening: Online Ordering Success!

I don't know what it is about us Filipinos and online shopping. For some strange reason, there seems to be an innate fear in all of us that discourages us from availing of this terribly convenient way of shopping. Is it because we still fear the internet? Nah, we can't live without that ish. Is it because we doubt the legitimacy of the sites we're ordering from? Course not, they're official sites after all. Is it then because we're afraid the orders won't arrive to our lil 'ole third world country with a sketchy postal system? Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

Well, that was my reason anyways. Until I just had to order something abroad which wasn't available here. My girlfriend has been raving about Cath Kidston bags for quite some time now, ever since she saw them on Daphne Osena's blog. I admit they're quite the charmers, but the only problem was they were nowhere to be found on Philippine soils! That's why I checked out the official Cath Kidston site to check if they shipped worldwide. They did, and I ordered quite easily enough with my credit card. Then came the hard part: the wait.

Cath Kidston, 'twas nice shopping with you!

The site said the shipping would take two weeks. Two weeks went by and I still didn't have the bag. I called to follow up and they told me they sent the bag on the date promised. A few days passed, still nada. I called to complain and this wonderful voice with a British accent told me they'll send a replacement. I still had my doubts, but what the heck, I went along with it. What else can I do, right?

A few days later. I received a slip from the Quezon City Post Office telling me that I had a package to claim there. Quite excited, I asked someone to pick it up for me and after I paid a measly P30 tax for the bag, it was finally here. I was happy and satisfied with my purchase and then a few days after, I got another slip. It was for the replacement bag they gave!

Needless to say, I was happy I got a free bag, but I was even happier because even though it took some time, my venture into online shopping proved it can be done here in our native Philippines. Yeah, it was delayed because of our sucky system, but I've proven that as long as you order from a reputable store (go for the official sites!), all you really need is a bit of patience and some money for the tax to make it all happen. It opens up a lot of opportunities for shopping now as I'm not limited to just local items. You know what this means: Asos, here I come!

Well hello there, Asos. You've a great selection to browse through!

Yes, they ship to Asia too! Whoopdidoo!

The Item: 5cm SS 10 Collection

5cm has been holding it down for a minute now, and here they are again with yet another fresh batch of those innovatively-styled goodies with the much awaited unveiling of their Spring-Summer 2010 Collection. Staying true to what has made it one of my Top 5 Stores for 2009, the new pieces let the wearer show his casual taste with flair and his individuality with edge. The new drops put an emphasis on layering, pairing basic pieces with uniquely designed garments, be it the edited blazer, cropped pants, or a mesmerizing trench (my favorite piece!).

The 5cm Spring Summer 2010 collection is themed as “Accent Light and Edge in Darkness”. Its main collection presents different color inspirations from nature: Sunset in Spring and Sunlight with the Edge in Darkness. 5cm designers played around with the basic spectrum of colors combining different layers of textures and various lengths as an attempt to create a diversified collection.The collection highlights a lavish use of earth tone colors such as beige, khaki, cream, navy, grey and black; while adding colors of red, green, purple and blue in various shades as accents.

Sounds good to me. I've always been a proponent of classic earth tones with hints of bright colors to make things interesting. I'd suggest you check these out in the brand's two branches in SM Megamall's Atrium and SM Mall of Asia, but I don't think I have to. The awesome pictures below speak for their damn selves.

The lovely trench coat I was talking about. The blazer's quite a looker too.

Love the styling of the right pic the most. So fresh, that non-sporty hoodie is.

The lightweight blazer on the right's a winner with the pattern on the lapels

One can never have enough striped shirts. The red's a fine addition.

Photos courtesy of 5cm

The Store: Levi's and Dockers Factory Outlet

Whenever I bring my girlfriend to work, we always pass by this roughshod Levi's and Dockers Factory Outlet in the corner of SLEX and Quirino Ave. Ever since, I've always been intrigued by what the not-so-appealing store stocked. So yesterday, when I had a bit of time, I parked ever so cautiously into the sketchy compound to have a look see at the goods.

While far from impressive, you could snatch quite a few good finds from nice 501s to slim-cut Dockers slacks for as much as P1,500 off! I actually was going to buy some dark denim 505s, but exercised caution as I am saving up for what will be an epic Hong Kong trip in July. Anyway, if you're in the area, you may want to check the outlet out for some denims at a hefty discount!

The store may look sketchy, but inside may be your next great find!

The Item: Cheap Recycled Pens

I'm really not particular about pens. When it comes to writing instruments, I get what I can from the office, which more often than not is some broken-down Panda number or some corporate pen from a job fair. Feeling a need to change this to be more motivated at work, I decided to venture into the nearby National Bookstore branch to get me some new pen swag.

I decided on a Pilot G-Tech which my girlfriend prefers, but when I saw these two so-called "recycled pens", I just had to have them. I love how organic these look as opposed to the artificial plastic bodies most pens have. That cardboard body, those small wooden clips - these are the kind of small touches that make all the difference in such a category as boring as office supplies. The fact that they're recycled too is really just a bonus for Mother Nature. And c'mon now, for 8 bucks a pop, is there really any going wrong with them?

My new pens: Won't allow anybody to nab these babies without me knowing!

Can you say "instant accessory"? Yeah, not quite, but an intriguing option nonetheless

Style I Love: All Around Basics

My girlfriend and I celebrated her birthday yesterday at Burgos Circle. And because it's her special day, I decided to go for an all-basics outfit to look muted and let her shine as she should. It all led to this. From first glance, I think I'd pass for a mannequin at Gap with their denim drive going on and all. Be that as it may, I'm quite happy with how all basic pieces came together. With a few simple tweaks (a fold here, a fold there), it became a silent statement all in itself, a perfect complimentary to the true star of the day. That said, Happy Birthday, you pretty girl, you!

Browline Specs (Ray-Ban), Chambray Shirt (Baleno), V-Neck (Hanes) Original Khakis (Gap), Chuck Taylors (Converse), Air Socks (Urban Outfitters)

The birthday girl in Zara and the Cath Kidston bag she wanted (my gift!)

The Item: Fred Perry Tournament Shirts 2010

Back from a long hiatus yo! So sorry for the lack of posts lately, but work has literally been raping me for the past few weeks now (I may be exaggerating a tad bit). Well, no longer. The blog's back with a vengeance with these sweet Fred Perry Tournament Shirts! Made especially for the World Cup, now this, this is how you show your loyalty to your favorite teams for the June spectacle without sacrificing a hint of style.

The Tournament Shirts were made using the timeless world-beating silhouette of Fred Perry Authentics with the classic twin-tipped detailing that we all know and love. What makes these even more dope are the country names sewn below the enlarged Laurel logo along with the "2010" signifying the year of the tourney. Kinda gives 'em that collector's edition feel don't it?

Well, I don't know about you, but that England shirt below is looking mighty snazzy. If that's not your thing, you could choose from 11 other countries' designs (Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, Slovenia, South Korea, and Spain) to have your fill. Sigh, will we ever get our own? Anyhow, the goods are available this May at the Fred Perry Authentic shop in Megamall's Atrium so be sure to check 'em out!

Absolutely love this. The red is just something to behold!

A shirt that none but suits those uber-stylish Milano men

Futbol will just not be the same without Brazil's gold and green!

The Item: Topman Clubmasters

My cousin was just telling me about the dope pair of "Clubmasters" he bought in Landmark (for 250 bucks!) the other day when I remembered these shades I saw in Topman some weeks back. It was from right before our Boracay trip and I was debating then whether I should get them or not for our annual vacay. In hindsight, I believe I should've because I can't afford those authentic Ray-Bans now and I've grown tired of squinting in the sunlight already despite just being in the early part of April. Not bad for P1,300 I think, with those little stud details at the browline's corner. Ah, regrets. They may not be even there when I return, although I am hoping for the best!

A look-for-less piece which I won't be ashamed to have

The Item: Baleno Chambray Shirts

Let me just pause for a moment and ask, what in blazes in going on with SM Department Store? First, this straw trilby, and now this beautiful chambray shirt? It's from a brand named Baleno and if it sounds familiar, you may have found it in some ukay-ukay shops before (I know I have!). As for me, I scoured these babies in SM Department Store after I chanced upon them in a Garage Magazine spread.

I must say, the fit is amazing and the fabric's just as light as it needs to be. The button-down collar detail is also a fine addition and if you read ze blog often, you know how much I love those. Needless to say, because of the setting of purchase, it's damn cheaper than it's more heralded counterparts - something to the tune of P699 a piece. Just imagine, you can buy 5 of 'em in place of the chambrays Gap is offering now! At least you should probably get two, though, since it comes in two chambray shades. I tell you SM, if you keeps carrying this shiz, I'll keep on coming back for more. So keeps stepping your game up now, mmmkay?

The color I got: Not bad for P699, yes?

As Terrence Howard said in Iron Man, "Next time, baby"

The Item: The Tretorn T-56 WGTs

When in doubt, go back to the classics. That, I believe was Tretorn's approach when they decided to make a comeback and hit us up with some of their "old-new" kicks. Enter the T-56 WGTs. Coming to us straight out of the 50s and 60s, these babies capture the best of my favorite style decade with its minimalistic look, both in volume and detailing. Yes, the leather upper's a luxurious touch, but all around, it's the perfect basic sneak for the summer season when none but basic sneaks rule. Cop it now at Bratpack Greenbelt 5, Rustans Makati, selected Res-Toe-Run stores all across the Metropolis before everybody else knows about 'em!

Even the color options are basics but goodies

The black T-56 WGTs in action with my folded khakis

Style I Love: The Level-up Shoreline Look

Boracay is known for having one of the best beaches in the world. To do it justice, atrocious basketball shorts and ill-fitting cut-off shirts will simply never ever do. As a symbol of respect, I threw out all my usual tacky male cover-ups and went with a soft button-down shirt instead. The lightweight fabric makes it perfect for the warm weather and its semi-quick dry material did it what it had to as I lounged about after my length ocean dip. It looks lightyears better too than those raggedy jerseys and I believe makes for a perfect tribute to such a wonder of nature that we all have been blessed to visit.

Straw Trilby (SM Department Store), Lightweight Button-down (American Eagle)
Navy Swim Trunks (Fred Perry), Flip-flops (Havaianas), Lumot (Boracay's own)

Style I Love: Beat the Heat Outfit

It was scorching hot in the streets of Boracay and in order to keep up with the high temperature, I resorted to the simplest of outfits without skimping much on style. You see, I practice what I preach when I mentioned my beachwear essentials. So here, my entire look was comprised solely of the items I identified, proving that when it comes to what I post, I bullshit you not, dear readers. Needless to say, I still shed a bullet of sweat or two, but I wasn't sweating how I looked on that day. I was quite satisfied with how my version of the resort look turned out - basic yet utterly and literally cool.

Straw Trilby (SM Department Store), Scapular (Church's Own), White V-Neck (Hanes)
Folded Shorts (Old Navy), Nubuck Straps (Topman), Flip-flops (Havaianas)